Berlin and Coos County Oral History Project

Berlin, New HampshirePlaistow, New Hampshire

Berlin, New Hampshire, in the heart of the Northern Forest, is a
small city of approximately 10,000 people, best known for its paper
mills and being the largest producer of newsprint in the world during
the mid-twentieth century. The city's history is as deep as the woods
that surround it. Our dynamic partnership brings together Timberlane
Regional High School, in Plaistow, New Hampshire, and the Berlin and
Coos County Historical Society in an oral history project, resulting in
a ninety-minute documentary on Berlin in the twentieth century.

You'll hear from residents whose families have lived and worked
in Berlin for generations. As the paper industry disappeared, many
people moved while earlier generations are passing away, taking their
stories with them. Our oral history project captures their stories,
preserves them, and uses this rich history as a catalyst for Berliners
as they look to re-define themselves in the twenty-first century.